Poll Results – Can customers forgive your errors?

Last month I wrote a blog about a new mobile payment provider called payleven with an example of one of their leaflets which, unfortunately, had several careless mistakes in it.

We attached a poll designed to help understand if a lack of care in a business’ marketing material might make a difference to a customer’s propensity to purchase from them. The results were as follows:

• 5% said it would have absolutely no bearing on their decision to pursue things with payleven
• 28% said it would cause them to question things, but they would still carry on
• 67% said it would mean they would go elsewhere

The fact that 33% of responders would be willing to give payleven a second chance is interesting and, in a sense, positive (for 5% it is not even viewed as a second chance). Whilst the 67% of people in the poll who have immediately been alienated have already scuppered your return on investment metrics, these 33% demonstrate that all is not, potentially, lost in terms of sales.

However I can’t help feeling that, since there is still a long way to go to actually close the deal, the subsequent execution of the customer experience had better be immaculate. Customers do not have a bottomless well of goodwill and the initial poor execution of the leaflet will, at a minimum, sensitise prospects to any future aspects of the proposition which fall short. Everyone can make a mistake once-just do not keep doing it.

 

Lexden is a Customer Strategy Agency | We put customers at the start and the heart of marketing strategy

We work with brands to attract and retain happy customers | We achieve this by helping them to understand what makes their customers tick, building memorable customer experience strategies and creating engaging customer value propositions.